Customer Reviews

The Three Musketeers (1939)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Realistic-adventure and slapstick-comedy normally do not mix, but here they do, because there is a good story, and the film is carefully balanced so the realism brings you right back to the story after limited comedy.

This film has a fitting hero, sword fights, a couple very good songs, a little romance, and surprisingly, some good comedy.

The Ritz brothers sometimes give that silly, cross-eyed, look, that Martin Short can do, that looks so silly, you just want to slap them for looking so silly This is a fun and lively film, yet with realism that makes you wonder, if it did not really happen that way. An excellent, charming, film.

Another great version of "The Three Musketeers" that you have never heard of is "At Sword's Point- 1952" with Alan Hale Jr., Cornell Wilde, and Maureen O'Hara.

Relax, literature lovers: The Ritz Brothers DON'T have the title roles in this, their only costume picture. Gallant swordsman D'Artagnan (Don Ameche, in a fine performance) takes on all comers to protect the Queen. Large sets and a great cast of character players add to the atmosphere. Very well directed by Allan Dwan (who had staged Douglas Fairbanks swashbucklers). There's very little of the usual Ritz Brothers schtick in this, but they do have an athletic precision-dance routine. The video's print quality is excellent.

This is really a spoof of The Three Musketeers.The Ritz Brothers are not my cup of tea.This version only follows the first half of the novel.The Ritz Brothers played lackeys.Douglas Dumbrille,Russell Hicks and John King played the Athos,Porthos and Aramis.Don Ameche did a good job as D'Artagnan.Binnie Barnes,Lionel Atwill and Miles Mander excellent in their parts Milady,Rochefort and Cardinal Richelieu.Gloria Stuart,Joseph Schildkraut,Lester Matthews ,Pauline Moore,John Carradine good in their supporting roles as Queen Anne,King Louis,Constance and Naveau Bernajoux the Cardinal's spy.Is this a faithful adaptation? No,but a good one.Alot of this version was copied from the 1935 version.The D'Artagnan abduction scene an example.Note to those who love this version Miles Mander who played Cardinal Richelieu in this version played King Louis in the more serious 1935 version.The Musketeers in this version like the 1935 were getting a little long in the tooth but the performances were good.If you really enjoyed this comical take on the classic then you would probably like the Disney 1993 version (which copied from the 1935 and 1939 versions) and two Mexican versions one with Cantinflas 1942 (not dubbed in English) and Tin Tan's 1957 version which plays on the Nostalgia Channel and is dubbed in English.The funny thing about Tin Tan's version is the costumery looks just like that of the 1948 Gene Kelly version and Milady de Winter looks like a redheaded Janet Leigh.So if you like spoofs of classics you will like this.

I do not understand why The Ritz Brothers are not better known. They could out-sing and out-dance most, if not all, other comedy teams. Sure their brand of humor is a matter of individual taste, but what humor isn't?
This is 72 minutes of unadulterated fun, partially faithful to Dumas' great novel, elaborately designed, wonderfully produced by Darryl Zanuck, and creatively directed by that ol' professional Allan Dwan. The supporting cast of Lional Atwill, John Carradine, Binnie Barnes, Gloria Stuart, Douglas Dumbrille, Miles Mander, etc. are superb, and more than support the dashing and vocally adept Don Ameche (okay, so he's no Allan Jones), and the hilarious Ritz Brothers. Yeah, they fit right in to my "matters of taste." Give them a try. 20th Century Fox needs to release more films on DVD of this wonderfully zany, incredibly talented trio.

The Ritz brothers are shown in Musketeer costume on the cover, but they do not play Musketeers in the film (they play assistant cooks in a tavern). Realistic-adventure and slapstick-comedy normally do not mix, but here they do, because there is a good story, and the film is carefully balanced so the realism brings you right back to the story after limited comedy.

This film has a fitting hero, sword fights, a couple very good songs, a little romance, and surprisingly, some good comedy.

The Ritz brothers sometimes give that silly, cross-eyed, look, that Martin Short can do, that looks so silly, you just want to slap them for looking so silly This is a fun and lively film, yet with realism that makes you wonder, if it did not really happen that way. An excellent, charming, film. They should put this on DVD, with a different cover picture, without a picture of the Ritz brothers on the cover, (though they are good in the film).

Another great version of "The Three Musketeers" that you have never heard of is "At Sword's Point- 1952" with Alan Hale Jr., Cornell Wilde, and Maureen O'Hara.

Gloria Stuart, the old-lady version of Kate Winslet's character in "Titanic," plays Queen Anne in this picture. In my previous review, I had written that she plays the adorable Constance.

A fast-paced hoot! A better example of depression-era musicals that is surprisingly faithful to the flavor and period details of the original stories by Alexandre Dumas. The three musketeers lose a drinking contest with the cooks (the Ritz Brothers) of an inn while waiting for d'Artagnan to arrive for their first duel. The cooks take their place and the adventure begins! Beyond what has been said already, the swordplay is thrilling and well-done, Binnie Barnes is ravishing as Milady, and Gloria Stuart (yes, from "Titanic") is adorable as Constance.

My son, age 21, loves old classic movies, esp. comedies. So we wanted to get him this dvd for Christmas. The price was good, it arrived in a timely manner and we were very satisfied.

Watched the movie
loved it very funny movie.
loved the music
very entertaining movie.




Thank you
MAB

A fun Ritz bros. movie. I wish there were more of them in this movie.